Thanksgiving in D.C.

Thanksgiving is next Thursday. It’s the one day where it’s OK to eat like it’s your last meal AND get the day off work! D.C. is a lovely place to spend the holiday, whether you’re with family, friends or all alone. Whether you want to eat out, order in, drink quality beers or see a show, we’ve got you covered.

Bastille– The decadent three-course prix fixe Thanksgiving menu from Bastille includes a first course, entree, and dessert, with an optional additional cheese course. Standout dishes include the Seafood Chowder, Angus Beef in mole sauce, Seared Icelandic cod filet and for dessert, pumpkin cheesecake or chocolate fudge tart. The meal runs from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m., for $68 per person.

Bibiana– Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca will be offering an authentic Italian twist on Thanksgiving. The three course tasting menu is $55 per person and features items like assorted carpaccio, bitter chocolate infused papardelle, and desserts like panna cotta and financiers.

Bidwell- Keep your indulgence ethically and responsibly sourced by dining at Bidwell on their prix fixe menu for $45 per adult with kids under 12 for $25. They’re serving up holiday specials like caramelized brussels sprouts, sourdough stuffing, maple sweet potatoes and the star of the day, turkey.

Bistro Bis – On Thanksgiving Day Bistro Bis is serving up French bistro classics alongside American Thanksgiving classics for an all around glutinous feast. Try to save room for dessert because options like pumpkin chiboust with pain d’epices, pepita brittle (pumpkin mousse with spice bread, and pumpkin seed brittle), maple crème anglaise and cranberry-cherry sorbet sound amazing.

Blue Duck Tavern– Blue Duck Tavern is subverting the prix fixe standard and instead offering a variety of comfort foods sourced from up and down the east coast. Options like Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Brown Butter Roasted Halibut and Maine Lobster are decadent seafood alternatives to the standard turkey and ham, though they offer meaty standards as well.

BLT Steak –On Thanksgiving Day BLT Steak is offering a three course prix fixe menu with classed-up versions of Thanksgiving staples like chestnut and celery root soup, brussels sprouts and bacon, and of course turkey and prime rib. It’s $75 per person and $40 for children under 12, you know the drill. If you’re not too full of dopamine to move on Friday the 25th and want more gluttony, grab of of BLT Steak’s Thanksgiving Leftover Popovers filled with either turkey, prime rib, or seafood.

Bombay Club– In addition to a variety of Thanksgiving Day extras, Bombay Club is serving their full à la carte menu. Festive specials for the occasion include the Methi Turkey Tikka marinated with yogurt, garlic, fenugreek grilled in a tandoor oven and served with cranberry chutney, Brussels sprout foogath, and butternut squash bharta. For dessert, try a Pumpkin Brûlée with a cranberry cookie for $8. The Thanksgiving menu is offered from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Dishes range from $20 to $50.

Bonfire –If you didn’t think s’mores could become a savory Thanksgiving meal, you thought wrong. Bonfire has created three Thanksgiving s’mores skillets (two savory, one sweet) inspired by the smoky treat that are being served only the 21st through 23rd. In case you were worried, only the sweet skillet is topped with marshmallows, your turkey will be fluff-free.

Boss Shepherd’s Restaurant and Whiskey Bar– Get your feast started early with Boss Shepherd’s Thanksgiving brunch from 11:30 to 4 p.m. for $45 per adult and $15 for kids under 12. There will be traditional brunch items as well as southern foods like catfish, and Carolina spiced fried turkey.

Café Dupont- Not only is Café Dupont offering their normal à la carte menu, but it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if they didn’t also have a prix fixe meal featuring turkey or ham for $49 per person.

Casa Luca – This Thanksgiving head to Casa Luca for a three course prix fixe meal ($55 per person) featuring a combination of American and Italian classics to give your holiday a nice international spin.

Central Michel Richard– Head to Central for a French American, 3 course take on Thanksgiving dinner for $55 for adults and $27 for children. They’re serving all the classics along with gratinée French onion soup and cranberry almond bread pudding which sounds like a dream.

City Tap House – You can get a three course Thanksgiving meal consisting of an appetizer, traditional turkey dinner and dessert for $30, but if you’re not into that, their regular dinner menu is also on offer from noon to 9 p.m.

Columbia Room- On Wednesday the 23rd the Tasting Room will serve special leaves-inspired drinks, and more classic cocktails will be served in the Spirits Library and Punch Garden.

Dirty Habit- Sharing is caring so show your friends how much you care by sharing a massive communal drink on Friendsgiving along with a bunch of sharable plates like poached hen dumplings, Korean chicken wings or tempura calamari.

Fiola and Fiola Mare– Fabio Trabocchi offers a four course Thanksgiving Dinner special at Fiola Mare for $90 a person. Menu highlights include oysters, lobster ravioli, Heritage Roast Turkey, and Honey Roasted Duck Breast as well as dessert options that include a bomboloni and pumpkin chocolate torta.

The Hamilton – Their Thanksgiving menu is nearly as extensive as one of their normal menus and still offers variety ranging from Bento Boxes to North Carolina Shrimp and Grits. And don’t forget to snag one of The Hamilton’s famous milkshakes!

Le Diplomate-Go hard all day long into your Thanksgiving gluttony at Le Diplomat because it’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Challenge yourself by eating a special brunch, dinner and thanksgiving dinner, essentially a triathlon of face stuffing.

Legal Sea Foods– The three DC-area locations of Legal Sea Foods will be offering the restaurant’s Thanksgiving menu, which celebrates the menu of the First Thanksgiving- shellfish and fish. The restaurant will offer its full seafood menu for traditionalists, as well as a Turkey Dinner: Stuffed Turkey Breast with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash and cranberry sauce, priced at $24.95 per person.

Lincoln- From 1 to 8 p.m. Lincoln is serving a special Thanksgiving comfort food meal with turkey and assorted gravies, herb crusted prime rib, buttermilk mashed potatoes and more. It runs for $59 per adult and $21 per child.

NoPA Kitchen and Bar– NoPA’s Thanksgiving day menu was prepared and designed by Chef Matt Kuhn and it looks pretty delicious. Meals will start being served at 11 a.m., run to 9 p.m. and include appetizers like Curried Squash & Soup, Bouchot Mussels, and Grilled Spanish Octopus. Main dishes range from a Turkey Duo (schnitzel and turkey sausage) to a Farro and Black Quinoa Risotto; Beef Short Ribs, and Chilean Sea Bass. As for the desserts there’s no use in ordering just one – how can you pass up Cranberry Mousse Tarte, or Tarragon Apple Streusel? The three course prixe-fixe goes for $50.

The Prospect-If you like chicken wings but wish they were actually turkey legs and that they tasted like cranberries and stuffing instead of hotness, then head to The Prospect on Thanksgiving for festive turkey legs. No need to bother with the rest of the bird.

Rasika– If you’re looking for a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal, both the West End and Penn Quarter locations of Rasika are featuring exotic turkey specials in addition to their a la carte menus for $20. Both locations will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Sakerum– If you’re over the American classics, head to this Latin inspired sushi bar on the 23rd for special maki rolled and themed cocktails and shots, including the “Who’s Coming for Dinner?” and the “Maybe We Should Switch Seats,” and when the clock strikes 12 all shots are half price so you can start Thanksgiving on the right foot.

Station 4 – Sometimes less is more, especially when it comes to menus. Station 4’s Thanksgiving three course lunch and dinner menu offers appetizers like Spiced Butternut Squash Crostino, and Turkey Bisque. For your main course you can choose from Roasted Turkey, Seared Salmon, Butternut Squash Gnocchi, and N.Y. Strip Steak. Then top it all of with pie: apple tartlet and pecan pie. Available from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., the prix fix menu goes for $44.

Teddy & the Bully- Get a full Thanksgiving meal anytime between 1 and 8 p.m. with all the classic foods along with fancier foods you wouldn’t make like apple parsnip bisque and wild mushroom frisee salad. Meals are for $59 a person (kids under 12 are $21)

Via Umbria – Get in the festive spirit early by heading to Umbria’s Friendsgiving dinner this Friday the 18th. The evening starts with a wine tasting with a sommelier before heading into a four course Italian dinner.

The Willard – Dine on Thanksgiving classics at brunch in The Willard’s Crystal Ballroom while listening to live harp and piano. There are seatings at 10:30, 11, 1:30 and 2 and the meal is $110 for adults and $55 for children, though those under 5 are free, so grab as many babies as you can find.

Woodward Table- From 12 to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day stop by Woodward Table for their full fall menu as well as special Thanksgiving Day options like Amish turkey with roasted breast, stuffed thigh, cornbread dressing, and classic American side dishes.

701 Restaurant– 701 will be dishing up a classic Thanksgiving feast with a three-course, prix fixe holiday menu for $55, available from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The menu includes roasted beet salad, cauliflower schwarma and holiday meatballs. If the promise of holiday meatballs doesn’t excite you I don’t know what will, and I say that as someone who doesn’t even eat meat. They have more traditional options as well and an assortment of festive desserts, but really it’s all about the meatballs. What makes them festive? Is it the cranberries?

2941 – Celebrated Falls Church Restaurant 2941 is inviting guests to enjoy a festive feast with a view! The 2941 team is presenting three holiday-themed prix fixe menus including a 3-course prix fixe for $68 and a 3-course prix fixe Children’s Menu for $25. Menu highlights include Butternut Squash Velouté, Wild Boar Pappardelle, Thanksgiving Vegetarian, Maple Lawn Farm’s Turkey Breast, Apple Pie, and a Chocolate Pecan Bar, to name a few. Seatings are available 11am to 8 p.m.

Takeout Specials

Acadiana – For a “Thanksgiving Dinner for Eight,” you can hang up your apron and ring Acadiana in Washington, DC to enjoy a complete Southern-style feast. The package features a 16- to 18-pound roasted or fried Cajun-style Turkey, choice of Giblet or Eggplant Gravy, any four sides, a Pumpkin or Pecan Pie, and Acadiana’s Biscuits with House-made Pepper Jelly. This savory and sweet spread is available for $175, or simply the bird for $105. All items are also available à la carte starting at $12 with an assortment of sides that include Sweet Potato Purée, Oyster Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread & Andouille Sausage Stuffing, Cranberries, Macaroni & Cheese and Collard Greens. To order, call 202.408.8804 before 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 17.

Bayou Bakery-New Orleanian chef David Guas of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery can fill your kitchen with an array of Louisiana-style fixings with sought-after pies starting at $20 that include Virginia Peanut, Sweet Potato, Market Apple Crumble, Classic Pecan, Bourbon Chocolate-Chip and Bacon & Cayenne. Round out your meal with savory sides starting at $12, like Braised Collards or Dirty Rice by the quart, Buttermilk Biscuits by the dozen. Mac-n-Cheese can feed the whole family along with Savory Bread Pudding. Quick nibbles start at $10 per pint with Candied Spiced Pecans tossed in Creole seasoning or Cranberry-Orange Preserves to serve with Cornbread Muffins made from cornmeal ground by George Washington’s Gristmill—a Bayou Bakery exclusive! To order, call 703.243.2410 before 10 a.m. Monday, but if you order by this Thursday the 17th, you get 10% off your order..

Bidwell– Eat Bidwell’s responsibly sourced Thanksgiving meals in the comfort of your own home by ordering assorted Thanksgiving staples by the quart for pick up on Wednesday between 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday 9-11 a.m. Call 202-547-0172, or email [email protected] to place your order.

The Bird- Get your bird from the Bird, along with all your sides. Just pre-order your duck or turkey and all the sides and pick it up any time on Wednesday or before 1 p.m. on Thursday.

BlackSalt – Although the MacArthur Boulevard restaurant will be closed Thanksgiving day, they are offering full Thanksgiving dinners to be picked up on Wednesday, November 23. Call 202-342-9101 to reserve your Amish turkeys, oysters, soups, sides, and desserts.

Brookland’s Finest- Order your cakes and pies from Brookland’s Finest now through Sunday with pickup available til Wednesday. Pies for 6 to 8 people come in classic flavors like chocolate chip pecan pie, sweet potato pie and chocolate cream pie, each for $19 while cakes come in 2 sizes and come in the flavors riple chocolate cake with pecan-coconut chocolate icing; spiced cheesecake with Oreo crust; and a red velvet cake with Grandma Q’s icing.

Carmine’s – Feeding a crowd? The 8-person feast, which is available for dining in or taking out, is a classic Thanksgiving spread. An 18-pound turkey, brussels sprouts, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pie are sure to satisfy your guests- and let you start drinking earlier instead of cooking. Everyone wins!

Centrolina – Place your order by the 21st and pick it up the 23rd from 6-9 or on Thanksgiving day from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to get a cider-brined turkey, rosemary’s sage stuffing, pumpkin spice pie, and other traditional Thanksgiving foods.

Co Co. Sala –Pie is arguably the only part of Thanksgiving that really counts, so make sure you have (at least) one by preordering a pumpkin or chocolate pecan pie from Co Co. Sala for pick up on the 22nd or 23rd.

Colada- While they’re not officially opening in D.C. until January, Colada is in the festive, giving spirit so they’re offering special Thanksgiving pies like apple-guava and dulce de leche pumpkin for pick up on Wednesday and Thursday from their D.C. location, 1405 T St, NW. Email [email protected] to order.

Del Campo – Take a twist on your usual Thanksgiving staples and try Del Campo’s South American inspired dishes like Peruvian Style Turkey, chicken and brisket, along with sides including pumpkin risotto, chorizo & chapa bread stuffing. Place your order by 8 p.m. on Sunday night for pick up any time on Wednesday until 10 p.m. or Thursday between 8 and 11 a.m.

Do Good! Feel Good! Buy Pies!– Buy a pie from Food and Friends before November 20th and proceeds will go directly to providing nutritious, home delivered meals to more than 3000 children and adults in the Washington area living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life threatening illnesses. There are 5 different flavors including apple, pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato and sky pies.

Kapnos and Kapnos Taverna – It’s a Greek Thanksgiving! Orders are accepted until November 22. Chef George Pagonis has prepared a menu that includes spiced spit roasted turkeys, cooked on the wood-fired rotisseries, chestnut stuffing, roasted lemon potatoes, Greek mac & cheese and more. Place your order by Sunday night!

Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe – If you’re going to order your Thanksgiving meal, this is our recommendation. Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Chef Freddie Bitsoie has designed a menu that allows for turkey tradition or Native American tradition. Order a turkey meal or a sumac crusted bison tenderloin. Get mashed potatoes and Minnesota harvested wild rice stuffing.

RareSweets – Pastry chef Meredith Tomaso, is gearing up for Thanksgiving and the holidays. The catering menu features a variety of layer cakes in lieu of pies, seasonal cookies and baked goods, bake at homeThanksgiving morning breakfast spreads, gift baskets and more. Many items on the menu are inspired by family and American heirloom recipes that have been reinterpreted for a modern palate. Pre-orders can be placed by calling 202-499-0077 or emailing i[email protected].

Red Apron Butcher– For a lot of people, Thanksgiving is all about the meat. If you’re one of those meat-oriented people Red Apron Butcher has got your back; they offer fresh and brined turkeys along with all the stocks, sausages, potatoes and bacon your heart could desire (before it explodes). Get your order in by 12 p.m. on Monday the 21st.

Sticky Fingers- Vegans need Thanksgiving too, despite what your uncle may say, and Sticky Fingers is offering a totally meat-free dinner with hazelnut cutlets, garlic mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy and cornbread. Orders need to be put in by the 16th and can be picked up from the 20th to 24th.

Sweet Home Cafe- The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Sweet Home café is offering not only complete thanksgiving meals to serve 6 to 8 people, but a bunch of à la carte options as well to suit your needs and tastes. A lot of the options have a creole flair which will make a fun departure from your Thanksgiving classics. If you haven’t been able to get into the museum yet this is a good way to experience a taste of it.

Via Umbria- Via Umbria is offering an assortment of take-home desserts and sides for your Thanksgiving table including cheese and charcuterie boards, bourbon vanilla cranberry sauce, and stuffing kits. Put your orders in by the 17th via their website, or call 202-333-3904.

Vidalia – Order some festive pies like lemon chess, pecan, maple bourbon sweet potato & pumpkin spice & apple crumblefor pick up on Wednesday. And as an added bonus, if you stay for dinner you get 10% of your meal for ordering pies, win-win. Pick them up at Woodward Take-out Food.

Lincoln – Wednesday and Thursday nights only, you can basically get a meal in a cup with Lincoln’s Rail Splitter. It’s got maple cured bacon bourbon, cranberry sours, egg whites, cranberry bitters and smoky thyme garnish. Drinking your Thanksgiving is one way to beat the bloat.

Miracle on 7th Street- Beginning on Black Friday Mockingbird Hill is transforming into a festive pop-up bar for the rest of the holiday season. They’re offering special beer cocktails from Stella Artois and Budweiser along with assorted beer inspired swag.

Teddy & Bully Bar- They’re serving up an extra festive cocktail, The Edith Spice, for two days only- the night before Thanksgiving and the day itself. It’s inspired by Edith Roosevelt’s spice cake recipe, so it probably tastes like old-timey White House.

Trummers on Main– Get out of the city for your festive drinking and head into Virginia. Trummers is going all in on the drinks-instead-of-food idea and they’ve crafted an entire Thanksgiving feast in drink form with cranberry sauce, stuffing, turkey and pumpkin drinks. If you do decide to eat they’re serving thanksgiving foods like fall squash, assorted pies and, of course, turkey.

Black Friday Deals- If you’re feeling brave, or just want to shove some people in a semi-acceptable setting (it’s Trump’s America now) check out the Black Friday Freshness Guide to see where you’ll get the best deals so you’re sure not to waste your time.

Muse Paintbar- Get some art therapy at Muse Paintbar over Thanksgiving weekend. While you paint enjoy some tapas, beer and wine to get away from all the holiday pressures.

Take a cruise – The Spirit of Washington is welcoming family, friends, and fans to leave the cooking and cleaning to them on Thanksgiving this year. Cruisers will enjoy a holiday-themed Thanksgiving Day Buffet and DJ entertainment for dancing. Enjoy the holiday without the hassle! Boarding at 12:15 p.m. and cruising from 1 to 3:00 p.m., the ride is priced at $59.90 per adult.

Military Thanksgiving – For the sixth year, Arena Stage will invite 200 wounded warriors, service men and women, and their families to an elegant, complimentary dinner and a performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel at the Mead Center for American Theater on Friday, November 27 in gratitude for their service.

Hirshhorn Museum- Get some possibly needed solitude in the Hirshhorn which is open Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.. Their special exhibit, Ragnar Kjartansson, is very wintery (he’s Icelandic) and contemplative and would be a great counter to the holiday madness. (Sidenote: we reviewed the exhibit here).

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Norm Macdonald is best known for his 4 year stint on Saturday Night live where Chevy Chase noted he was the best anchor to ever grace the chair. He is

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Norm Macdonald is best known for his 4 year stint on Saturday Night live where Chevy Chase noted he was the best anchor to ever grace the chair. He is a favorite guest on Late Night shows, having performed the final stand-up set ever on David Letterman. Mr. Letterman referred to Norm as the funniest man in the world. Conan O’Brien also lists Norm as his favorite guest. After leaving SNL, Norm starred in 2 movies, one being the cult classic “Dirty Work” and also appears in many Adam Sandler films, including his first “Billy Madison”, where Norm played Adam’s best friend. Norm also starred in 3 television series. This year he became a judge on “Last Comic Standing” as well as portraying Colonel Sanders in an avant-garde Series of spots for KFC. His tour-de force anti comedy roast of Bob Saget became an instant classic, as well as the five- minute “Moth Joke” on Conan which received a full one-minute laugh. These, though, are only experiments Norm tries out on TV appearances.It is still Norm’s stand-up which is his pure gift. His 2011 Comedy Special “Me Doing Stand-up” was hailed by The Guardian as one of the best Stand-up Specials of all time and Comedy Central name him in their top 100 comedians of all time. Norm retires all material he has used on specials and guarantees that no two shows will ever be identical. If you know Norm Macdonald, but do not know his stand-up, you do not know him. He is a stand-up comedian who must be seen to be believed.

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In a rare evening program, multimedia artist Martha Rosler, currently the subject of a major retrospective at the Jewish Museum in New York, discusses her practice with the Gallery's James

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In a rare evening program, multimedia artist Martha Rosler, currently the subject of a major retrospective at the Jewish Museum in New York, discusses her practice with the Gallery’s James Meyer, curator of art, 1945–1974. The program will be streamed live at nga.gov/live.

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The first Houses release in five years, Drugstore Heaven, marks a major artistic shift for L.A.-based songwriter/producer Dexter Tortoriello. Abandoning the heady concepts of his previous records for some

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The first Houses release in five years, Drugstore Heaven, marks a major artistic shift for L.A.-based songwriter/producer Dexter Tortoriello. Abandoning the heady concepts of his previous records for some of his tightest songwriting yet, Tortoriello is embracing the most fascinating character in his musical universe: himself.In 2010, Houses released their full-length debut All Night via Lefse Records — a Portland, Oregon-based label who signed the band two weeks after Tortoriello shared the project’s first single via Tumblr. The following year, Diplo tracked him down after finding his more darkly-charged project Dawn Golden on Bandcamp. In addition to signing Dawn Golden to Mad Decent, Diplo began bringing Tortoriello into co-writing sessions, which soon led to his work as a writer/featured vocalist for such artists as Martin Garrix, Ryan Hemsworth, and What So Not.

The past five years have been undeniably busy for Tortoriello. After relocating from Chicago to LA, he released Houses’ sophomore album A Quiet Darkness via Downtown Records in 2013, along with a debut full-length as Dawn Golden the following spring. A slate of high-profile remixes for Major Lazer, Kings of Leon and Odesza established him as a dance world heavyweight, while writing and producing for artists like Lil Yachty, Kali Uchis, and Kiiara refined his songcraft. And while he initially compartmentalized his creative efforts, Drugstore Heaven finds him drawing from these experiences, creating Houses’ most fully realized and complexly detailed output to date – a selection of songs matching graceful experimentation with raw emotion and unprecedented vulnerability.

“All of the Houses material to date has been very escapist,” Tortoriello says. “You can fall into a spell where real life is something you tune in and out of, something you feel no authorship over. I’ve focused my efforts over the last few years on building and reinforcing things I don’t wish to escape from: relationships, groups, creative outlets, ideas, workflows. I found a much deeper type of freedom in taking ownership over my life and committing myself to really living it.”

Drugstore Heaven delivers a dynamically textured sound partly shaped by Tortoriello’s exploration of rave and drum-and-bass artists from the late ’90s. “At the time all that stuff was coming out, electronic music was just being discovered, so there was this really pioneering sense of what was possible,” he says. The lead single “Fast Talk,” featuring backing vocals of longtime Houses member Megan Messina, unfolds in hazy rhythms formed from chopped-up breakbeats and live percussion from timpani, glockenspiel, and a couple bottles of antidepressant medication. “That song is meant to be a memorial for a group of friends I had back in my late teens,” explains Tortoriello, adding, “Thematically it’s almost like a ballet where you keep driving around the same blocks, and people start disappearing from the car because they’re going to jail or dying.”

Growing up outside Chicago, Tortoriello first started making music in his early teens, mostly by attempting to emulate the drum-and-bass-meets-speed-metal freakouts of Atari Teenage Riot. (“I’d record myself playing drums onto cassette, then double-speed the tape and play synthesizers over it,” he recalls. “It was an abomination.”). Sonic references to his teenage experimentation make melancholic rave workout “Years” all the more poignant, as Tortoriello examines the anxiety of ageing and the ennui of early adulthood in his lyrics.

On Drugstore Heaven, embracing the personal also has its joyful side. The EP’s punchiest moment, “Left Alone,” emerges as bright and bouncy anthem celebrating the bliss of solitude, while closer “Pink Honey” is a lavishly romantic number built on ethereal vocals, delicate guitar tones, and luminous synth. “I was trying to turn that one into a sweeping love song, like something out of Casablanca,” says Tortoriello.

For Tortoriello, the deepest achievement of Drugstore Heaven lies in building a body of work that feels entirely true to the world in his head. “In the past I’ve felt self-conscious about the person I put forth in my music, but these songs feel very reflective of who I really am,” he says. Being this open still feels new to him, but for the listener, it’s a rewarding glimpse into the mind of a vital and forward-thinking artist.

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The Comet is Coming is the soundtrack to an imagined apocalypse. In the aftermath of widespread sonic destruction what sounds remain? Who will lead the survivors to new sound worlds?

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The Comet is Coming is the soundtrack to an imagined apocalypse. In the aftermath of widespread sonic destruction what sounds remain? Who will lead the survivors to new sound worlds? Who will chart the new frontier?

In a warehouse somewhere in London 2013 a meeting would take place between three musical cosmonauts. They would pool their energies to build a vessel powerful enough to transport any party into outer space. King Shabaka (Sons of Kemet, Melt Yourself Down), Danalogue and Betamax (Soccer96).

Together they chart a path based on the encoded language of Sun Ra, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and the BBC Radiophonic Workshops from which the band’s name emerged.

It is after the end of the world, the stage is a spacecraft, the mic is an accelerator. brace yourself for The Comet is Coming.

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There’s a great scene in The Last Waltz – the documentary about The Band’s final concert – where director Martin Scorsese is discussing music with drummer/singer/mandolin player Levon Helm. Helm

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There’s a great scene in The Last Waltz – the documentary about The Band’s final concert – where director Martin Scorsese is discussing music with drummer/singer/mandolin player Levon Helm. Helm says, “If it mixes with rhythm, and if it dances, then you’ve got a great combination of all those different kinds of music: country, bluegrass, blues music, show music…”To which Scorsese, the inquisitive interviewer, asks, “What’s it called, then?”“Rock & roll!”Clearly looking for a more specific answer, but realizing that he isn’t going to get one, Marty laughs. “Rock & roll…”Well, that’s the way it is sometimes: musicians play music, and don’t necessarily worry about where it gets filed. It’s the writers, record labels, managers, etc., who tend to fret about what “kind” of music it is.And like The Band, the members of Railroad Earth aren’t losing sleep about what “kind” of music they play – they just play it. When they started out in 2001, they were a bunch of guys interested in playing acoustic instruments together. As Railroad Earth violin/vocalist Tim Carbone recalls, “All of us had been playing in various projects for years, and many of us had played together in different projects. But this time, we found ourselves all available at the same time.”Songwriter/lead vocalist Todd Sheaffer continues, “When we started, we only loosely had the idea of getting together and playing some music. It started that informally; just getting together and doing some picking and playing. Over a couple of month period, we started working on some original songs, as well as playing some covers that we thought would be fun to play.” Shortly thereafter, they took five songs from their budding repertoire into a studio and knocked out a demo in just two days. Their soon-to-be manager sent that demo to a few festivals, and – to the band’s surprise – they were booked at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival before they’d even played their first gig. This prompted them to quickly go in and record five more songs; the ten combined tracks of which made up their debut album, “The Black Bear Sessions.”That was the beginning of Railroad Earth’s journey: since those early days, they’ve gone on to release five more critically acclaimed studio albums and one hugely popular live one called, “Elko.” They’ve also amassed a huge and loyal fanbase who turn up to support them in every corner of the country, and often take advantage of the band’s liberal taping and photo policy. But Railroad Earth bristle at the notion of being lumped into any one “scene.” Not out of animosity for any other artists: it’s just that they don’t find the labels very useful. As Carbone points out, “We use unique acoustic instrumentation, but we’re definitely not a bluegrass or country band, which sometimes leaves music writers confused as to how to categorize us. We’re essentially playing rock on acoustic instruments.”Ultimately, Railroad Earth’s music is driven by the remarkable songs of front-man, Todd Sheaffer, and is delivered with seamless arrangements and superb musicianship courtesy of all six band members. As mandolin/bouzouki player John Skehan points out, “Our M.O. has always been that we can improvise all day long, but we only do it in service to the song. There are a lot of songs that, when we play them live, we adhere to the arrangement from the record. And other songs, in the nature and the spirit of the song, everyone knows we can kind of take flight on them.” Sheaffer continues: “The songs are our focus, our focal point; it all starts right there. Anything else just comments on the songs and gives them color. Some songs are more open than others. They ‘want’ to be approached that way – where we can explore and trade musical ideas and open them up to different territories. But sometimes it is what the song is about.”So: they can jam with the best of them and they have some bluegrass influences, but they use drums and amplifiers (somewhat taboo in the bluegrass world). What kind of music is it then? Mandolin/vocalist John Skehan offers this semi-descriptive term: “I always describe it as a string band, but an amplified string band with drums.” Tim Carbone takes a swing: “We’re a Country & Eastern band! ” Todd Sheaffer offers “A souped-up string band? I don’t know. I’m not good at this.” Or, as a great drummer/singer/mandolin player with an appreciation for Americana once said: “Rock & roll!”

Event Details

Elizabeth Alexander and Manthia Diawara in person

Two artists — painter Ficre Ghebreyesus (1962 – 2012) from Asmara in Eritrea and filmmaker Manthia Diawara from Bamako in Mali — meet metaphorically in this program focusing on their work. Political refugees, activists, scholars, artists, and storytellers, both men settled in the United States and found themselves working odd jobs, joining the African American community of poets, and hunkering down within their own artistic practice. Ficre Ghebreyesus’s epic painting The Sardine Fisherman’s Funeral centers on the abebuu adekai, the figurative coffin of the Ga people in Ghana, replete with symbols, historical references, and Eritrean iconography expressing a depth of feeling for the power of the sea. Manthia Diawara’s film An Opera of the World (2017), based on the African opera Bintou Were, mines the Malian filmmaker’s own migration experience against the backdrop of recent tragedies on the Mediterranean Sea. Diawara’s film features contemporary philosophers and employs footage of refugees in exodus, probing cinema’s power to bear witness. Manthia Diawara and Elizabeth Alexander — poet, essayist, playwright, scholar, and president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation — discuss and contrast both of these works (Ghebreyesus’s painting and Diawara’s film) following the screening. (Approximately 100 minutes)